D'Hanis overcomes injury to star player

Updated 12:14 am, Friday, November 30, 2012

Clint Rothe took over for Chance Barlow in the final game of the regular season.

Clint Rothe took over for Chance Barlow in the final game of the regular season.

D'Hanis overcomes injury to star player

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At times, D'Hanis' season looked like a miniature version of “Friday Night Lights” as the small town rallied around the undefeated football team.

But it wouldn't be movie-worthy without some heartbreak.

That came with four minutes left in the Cowboys' season finale against Sabinal. D'Hanis' star quarterback Chance Barlow recovered a bad snap and raced up the sidelines. He was upended by a defender, and came down hard on his left arm, shattering his humerus bone.

“You could hear it when he hit the ground,” D'Hanis coach Troy Langfeld said. “I can still hear the sound.”

The Cowboys didn't have time to mourn the loss — they had to win the game. Senior Clint Rothe, Barlow's favorite receiver, took over at QB and led the Cowboys to a 28-26 overtime win for the district title.

Rothe kept up the magic last week in D'Hanis' Class A Division II second-round game against Runge. His rushing TD with 1:19 left forced overtime, and he ran for another to win the game. He had five total TDs.

It was the first start at quarterback of his career.

“He came in like it wasn't a big deal,” Langfeld said. “That's just how he is. He'll do whatever it takes.”

D'Hanis (11-0) faces Burton (10-1) in the third round at 7:30 tonight at Shelton Stadium in Buda.

Rothe's transition was aided by the Cowboys' bidistrict bye. Prior to that, he had only taken a handful of snaps in the wildcat formation.

Still, he had giant shoes to fill. Barlow had accounted for 72 percent of D'Hanis' offense with his 2,787 total yards and 39 TDs — not to mention his five interceptions on defense.

Barlow's injury isn't the only adversity the team has faced. Jose Zavala, a popular former lineman who still attends the Cowboys' scrimmages and games, was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. The team responded by raising money for his treatment and by switching off who wears his No. 69 jersey each game.